After returning from Voyager on a cruise around New Zealand I thought I would give you my opinions.

There were 3166 passengers on board. You did not feel like it was ever crowded anywhere on the ship except for the event nights like 50's/60's or 70's night or disco night. Hosting this in the Promenade Street was not all that much fun as compared with having it on the Promenade deck outside. However it was probably too cold and windy for an outside event.

The entertainment was a mixed bag. Some very good, some mediocre some you just slept through.

The food in the main dining rooms were about as good as other Royal Caribbean ships except for the Fish. I normally prefer fish to beef, but almost all the reviews I read confirmed that the fish was the lesser choice. They were correct. The shrimp, the beef, the scallops and the chicken were all good. I found that even the daily backup of Salmon, which is normally very good, was lacking in flavor. So for me, that was disappointing. I also found the Windjammer cafe during lunch to be less than other RCI ships. Breakfast is almost always the same in the Windjammer. We actually took the time to go to the Dinning rooms for some breakfasts and lunches because the WIndjammer was not to our liking. The food in the main dinning rooms were the best meals. Did not go to the specialty restaurants.

A bright spot was the Promenade Cafe. Open 24/7 it offers small, ready made sandwiches, Pizza, cookies, cakes and fruit. Also offers coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. Unlike what other RCI ships have been doing, this is a nice feature.

Staterooms were pretty much the same across all RCI ships.

Ice skating rink has a wonderful performance: A must see event. DOn't miss it. They hold dance classes, open ice skating, and the Big Band events there. They put a large wooden floor over the ice rink. The temperature is comfortable but the floor is not exactly perfect for dancing but acceptable.

We had Gordon Whatman as cruise director and he does a good job. He is a seasoned CD and his presentations reflect his seniority as a professional. He is also a very accomplished singer and sings throughout the cruise both on stage and at the piano bar. He also hosts sessions in the morning just to chat. We would have liked to join him for that but time always seemed limited. We did hear him one time on a different cruise. If you can find the time, going to his sessions would be one of the better choices for the morning

Ports are ports, make of it what you will depending on your interests. Some will be better than others. Don't risk missing the ship by trying to save $$ doing your own excursions unless you are a seasoned cruiser. You might save $40 but your $200 hotel bill plus food plus $1200 flying to the next port of call, well.........you do the math.

My personal preference is for the Radiance class ships. There are 4 of them and they are identical. Approx 2500 passengers.

I truly hope someone from RCI reads this and makes the necessary changes to the fish. Try including some spices, and make sure the fish is cooked all the way through. Hello chef ???????????

I hope this is helpful. I don't intend to be critical, just honest. Did I enjoy the cruise? YES. Would I sail on Voyager again? Only if it is the only ship going where I want to go at the time I want to go.

cruzzz1000

December 11th, 2012 08:55 PM

Oh, One other comment.

This is to congratulate RCI on their efforts, During our cruise, they had a Norovirus on board. Probably had been there from previous cruise, although no way to confirm that. The staff did not let you take a plate, a utensil, or handle any food for one week while they sprayed the entire ship form stem to stern and wiped down the bathrooms, all railings and even wiped down every seat in the Ice skating rink. Yes, I witnessed this personally.

The Windjammer was very difficult getting food and drink (even salad dressing, nuts, raisins, etc could not be offered except by a staff person placing it on your food). It took a long time but everybody got fed and there were no restrictions on how much. You just had to say, I want more and they served it with a smile.

After they concluded that there was no risk to the spread of the virus, all of a sudden we were free to take plates, utensils and food ourselves.

Congrats to ALL of the staff, waiters, waitresses and food service personnel for their relentless effort to keep us safe and healthy. Thank You, thank you.